Rad, Bad, And The Next Fad – Presentation Design Trends 2014

If you want to be taken seriously like a presenter on TED Talks, make note this year to focus on design. Think of your presentation as your partner in crime. If Batman was to give a presentation on how he fights villains, would he want Robin to take over his spotlight or be his sidekick on stage?

Presentation design shouldn’t steal the show, but it should always be executed well to gain confidence in your pitch. For presentation design that has “Robin-esque” qualities, take a look at what’s rad, bad, and the next fad!

Editable Iconography

Icons and vector graphics can be converted into editable PowerPoint objects. This allows you the flexibility to change color, adjust curves, and scale infinitely.

Content as Imagery and Graphics

A good amount of content will complement your pitch perfectly, as long as the type is easy to read, and you use a small amount of text on every slide.

Full Slide Imagery Backgrounds

When text is needed for your presentation, use full-slide images as the background. The images should be of high-quality, and the use of text should be low.

Print Aesthetics

Print aesthetic is not only popular in print and web, but also in presentation design. The print aesthetic layout is professional, organized, and clean.

Ribbons

Much like in web design and emails, ribbons should never be used in a quality design. If you want to be taken seriously, ditch the ribbons for good.

Overuse of Effects / Distracting Colors

The worst thing you can do is distract your audience from hearing you. When you start to use to too many effects, such as distracting drop shadows, or distracting colors, the presentation design ends up being too loud, and you’ll lose your audience’s full attention.

Content Overload

One of the biggest presentation mistakes is packing presentations with too much information. Don’t give the viewers something to read. Instead, give the viewers a guide to what you’re saying.

Interactive Infographics

Interactive infographics are a hot trend in web design, so why not use them to make your presentation design pop. Interactive infographics is a new, innovative way to display information in your presentations.